Peshawar – The politicians of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday criticised the agitation by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad, calling it illogical.
“From recent protests and demonstrations, it seems that PTI leadership is not interested in the economic recovery of the country but rather in seeking relief for their founder, who is jailed in serious corruption cases,” said Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Secretary and former MPA .
Declaring the PTI leadership’s uncalled-for protests as unjustified, Ikhtiar Wali Khan stated that they have not learned from their past mistakes, including the failed Dharna at D Chowk, and are repeating the same blunder despite losing the KP and Punjab governments due to the premature dissolution of assemblies in these provinces.
He described the politics of hooliganism as detrimental to democracy, stating that PTI’s agitation first in Lahore and later in Rawalpindi and Islamabad completely undermines the spirit of democratic principles and political tolerance.
“The clashes between PTI workers and the Punjab police have exposed the former’s tall claims of being champions of democracy and the rule of law,” he said, adding that the scuffles with law enforcement were tantamount to taking the law into their own hands and creating anarchy in society.
“PTI workers have not only violated Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code but have also tarnished their own image before the nation due to their uncalled-for political hooliganism,” he said, alleging that the pelting of stones at police vehicles and vandalizing citizens’ cars served no purpose for the nation.
The PML-N leader stated that no government could allow such agitation rallies and demonstrations in the red zone, especially in Islamabad, claiming that PTI had been repeatedly requested to postpone its rally for security reasons, which was not well received.
“The failed rallies expose the PTI leadership’s deep frustration and anxiety after the people of Punjab distanced themselves from them,” he said.
Ikhtiar Wali reiterated that the Chief Minister of KP was known for raising empty slogans and advised him to hold rallies in DI Khan and other southern districts where the law and order situation is deteriorating due to the PTI’s lackluster policies.
“When a three-time elected Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, could face court cases and imprisonment in politically motivated cases without any protests in their favour, why should the PTI founder be any different?” he asked.
Former KP Minister Wajid Ali Khan stated that there was no need to hold protest rallies in Islamabad, as the media is free and politicians’ voices can easily reach every corner of the country through it.
He claimed that bringing hordes of protesters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad and Lahore was an attempt to exert undue pressure on the government and state institutions to gain relief for the PTI founder.
The former minister alleged that KP government resources were heavily utilised in the failed shows in Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, adding that taxpayers have every right to ask the Chief Minister about the utilization of their money.
He noted that the billion trees project was taken over by the NAB, while the BRT faced an annual shortfall of Rs3.2 billion, and dozens of mini and macro dams constructed in northern KP were washed away by the 2022 floods, exposing the PTI government’s poor planning and selection of sites along rivers and water streams.
“Like PTI’s ‘Jail Bharo Movement,’ this aimless agitation campaign has also miserably failed. The four years of PTI governance are responsible for the current economic quagmire.”
They questioned the utilisation of Rs417 billion provided to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government since 2010 under the NFC award, including the 10 years of PTI rule.
They asked why standard projects like safe city initiatives, forensics, and DNA labs were not established by PTI leaders, and why the Counter-Terrorism Department was not fully equipped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where cases of terrorism have surged again.
Political experts emphasised that further wrangling among political parties would serve no purpose and would instead weaken democratic institutions and create anarchy in society.
Due to past political disputes, they noted, democracy has been derailed four times in Pakistan, and no elected prime minister has completed a five-year term in the country’s parliamentary history.
To ensure the continuity of democracy and the strengthening of democratic institutions, it is essential for all political forces to come together and engage in meaningful dialogue to bring political and economic stability to the country. It is hoped that PTI leadership will focus on the people’s problems and development projects in KP rather than take the law into their own hands and will contribute to the country’s economic stability, which is vital for a prosperous nation.
